Describing Accommodation in Spanish

This section explains how to describe accommodation in Spanish, providing vocabulary and examples.  It also includes tips for students studying foundation and higher tiers.

Key Vocabulary:

• Alojamiento - Accommodation
• Hotel - Hotel
• Apartamento - Apartment
• Albergue juvenil - Youth hostel
• Camping - Campsite
• Pensión - Guesthouse / Bed and breakfast
• Casa rural - Country house / Rural house
• Habitación - Room
• Suite - Suite
• Recepción - Reception
• Servicios - Services
• Piscina - Swimming pool
• Restaurante - Restaurant
• Baño privado - Private bathroom
• Aire acondicionado - Air conditioning
• Calefacción - Heating
• Wi-Fi gratuito - Free Wi-Fi
• Vistas al mar - Sea views
• Vistas a la montaña - Mountain views
• Limpio/a - Clean
• Cómodo/a - Comfortable
• Lujo - Luxury
• Económico/a - Cheap
• Sencillo/a - Simple
• Cerca de - Near
• Lejos de - Far from
• Reservar - To book
• Check-in - Check-in
• Check-out - Check-out

Describing Different Types of Accommodation

Hotel - Hotel

• "El hotel tiene una piscina enorme y está cerca de la playa."
  (The hotel has a huge swimming pool and is near the beach.)
• "Este hotel de lujo tiene un restaurante gourmet y un spa."
  (This luxury hotel has a gourmet restaurant and a spa.)

Apartment - Apartamento

• "Nos quedamos en un apartamento en el centro de la ciudad, con una vista espectacular."
  (We stayed in an apartment in the city centre, with a spectacular view.)
• "El apartamento tiene dos habitaciones, una cocina totalmente equipada y un salón amplio."
  (The apartment has two rooms, a fully-equipped kitchen, and a spacious living room.)

Youth Hostel - Albergue juvenil

• "El albergue juvenil es barato y está cerca del centro turístico."
  (The youth hostel is cheap and is close to the tourist centre.)
• "Me alojé en un albergue juvenil donde conocí a muchos otros viajeros."
  (I stayed in a youth hostel where I met many other travellers.)

Camping - Camping

• "Fuimos a un camping cerca del mar, donde podíamos hacer barbacoas y nadar."
  (We went to a campsite near the sea, where we could have barbecues and swim.)
• "El camping estaba rodeado de naturaleza y era muy tranquilo."
  (The campsite was surrounded by nature and was very peaceful.)

Guesthouse / Bed and Breakfast - Pensión

• "La pensión donde nos alojamos tenía un ambiente familiar y el desayuno era delicioso."
  (The guesthouse where we stayed had a family atmosphere, and the breakfast was delicious.)
• "Nos alojamos en una pensión económica con baño compartido."
  (We stayed in a cheap guesthouse with a shared bathroom.)

Country House / Rural House - Casa rural

• "Nos hospedamos en una casa rural en las montañas, donde podíamos hacer senderismo."
  (We stayed in a country house in the mountains, where we could go hiking.)
• "La casa rural tenía un jardín grande y vistas a los campos."
  (The country house had a large garden and views of the fields.)

Describing Facilities

Room - Habitación

• "La habitación era muy grande, con una cama doble y un baño privado."
  (The room was very big, with a double bed and a private bathroom.)
• "La habitación tenía aire acondicionado, lo que fue ideal en verano."
  (The room had air conditioning, which was ideal in the summer.)

Swimming Pool - Piscina

• "El hotel tiene una piscina cubierta que se puede usar todo el año."
  (The hotel has an indoor pool that can be used all year round.)
• "Me encantó la piscina del hotel, tenía vistas al mar."
  (I loved the hotel pool, it had sea views.)

Wi-Fi - Wi-Fi gratuito

• "En el apartamento, había Wi-Fi gratuito que era muy útil para trabajar."
  (In the apartment, there was free Wi-Fi, which was very useful for working.)
• "El albergue juvenil no tenía Wi-Fi gratuito, pero había internet en la zona común."
  (The youth hostel didn’t have free Wi-Fi, but there was internet in the common area.)

Restaurant - Restaurante

• "El hotel tiene un restaurante que sirve comida típica de la región."
  (The hotel has a restaurant that serves typical regional food.)
• "El restaurante del camping era pequeño pero acogedor, y la comida era deliciosa."
  (The campsite restaurant was small but cosy, and the food was delicious.)

Heating - Calefacción

• "La habitación tenía calefacción central, así que siempre estaba cálida y cómoda."
  (The room had central heating, so it was always warm and comfortable.)
• "La calefacción no funcionaba bien en el albergue, así que hacía frío por la noche."
  (The heating didn’t work well in the hostel, so it was cold at night.)

Foundation Tier Example

• ¿Dónde te alojaste durante las vacaciones?
  (Where did you stay during the holiday?)
  • "Me alojé en un hotel con piscina. Era muy cómodo y estaba cerca de la playa."
    (I stayed in a hotel with a pool. It was very comfortable and near the beach.)
• ¿Cómo era tu habitación?
  (What was your room like?)
  • "La habitación tenía una cama grande y un baño privado. Estaba muy limpia."
    (The room had a big bed and a private bathroom. It was very clean.)
• ¿Qué servicios había en el hotel?
  (What services were there at the hotel?)
  • "El hotel tenía Wi-Fi gratuito, una piscina y un restaurante."
    (The hotel had free Wi-Fi, a swimming pool, and a restaurant.)

Higher Tier Example

• ¿Qué tipo de alojamiento prefieres cuando viajas?
  (What type of accommodation do you prefer when you travel?)
  • "Prefiero quedarme en apartamentos porque me gusta tener más independencia y cocinar mi propia comida."
    (I prefer staying in apartments because I like having more independence and cooking my own food.)
• ¿Cómo era el alojamiento en tu último viaje?
  (What was the accommodation like on your last trip?)
  • "En mi último viaje, me alojé en una casa rural en la montaña. La casa era encantadora y tenía vistas espectaculares."
    (On my last trip, I stayed in a country house in the mountains. The house was lovely and had spectacular views.)
• ¿Qué opinas de los albergues juveniles?
  (What do you think of youth hostels?)
  • "Creo que los albergues juveniles son muy económicos, pero no siempre tienen las mejores instalaciones. Sin embargo, son perfectos para viajeros jóvenes que buscan una experiencia social."
    (I think youth hostels are very cheap, but they don’t always have the best facilities. However, they are perfect for young travellers looking for a social experience.)

These notes provide useful vocabulary and examples for describing different types of accommodation and their features. They cater to both foundation and higher-tier GCSE Spanish students, helping them to talk about where they stay during holidays and the services or facilities available. Use these phrases to describe your ideal accommodation and compare it with your experiences!